Baron Edmond de Rothschild

(1845-1934)

It was the pogroms of the 1880s in Russia that motivated me to act in favor of my people. I was approached by Rabbi Samuel Mohilever when the early Jewish settlements of the First Aliya faced financial ruin.

I lent my assistance to both the settlements of Rishon LeZion and Zikhron Ya’akov.

Before I knew it, I was supporting a group of 12 settlements in David’s Land under the auspices of the Jewish Colonization Association.

They call me the “Great Benefactor” and I guess I’m the “father” of the New Yishuv—modern Zionist settlement in the Land of Israel.